Troy man does not want to participate in murder trial

By Bob Gardinier

Updated 3:12 pm, Saturday, January 18, 2014

A city man will fight an order to travel to Springfield, Mass., to testify for the prosecution in a triple murder trial connected to a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club.

Justin Lasky appeared in Rensselaer County Court last week where Judge Debra Young ruled, after a hearing, that he must testify for Massachusetts prosecutors.

The order states that Lasky is expected to corroborate the testimony of another witness.

Lasky believes that any testimony he could provide is of little value and fears for his safety if he gets involved in the prosecution of the brutal crime allegedly committed to silence witnesses, said Lee Kindlon, his attorney.

The prosecution's case alleges that Hall wanted Glasser dead so he couldn't testify against him in an unrelated assault case. Hall allegedly made Glasser watch the slayings of the other two before he was murdered, Capeless has said.

Hall's trial began a week ago.

Capeless' order demands that Lasky appear to testify at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the trial in Springfield. The venue was moved because of the publicity the case received in Berkshire County.

When Lasky appeared last week before Young, he was not represented by an attorney.

"We don't believe our client was awarded his due process and we feel as if the court took too big of a leap in ordering him to go without conducting a greater inquiry," Kindlon said. "From what we can see, the testimony will be cumulative and if so it is not necessary."

Kindlon has filed a motion to quash the order, which is expected to be heard in Rensselaer County Court early next week.

The trials of two other men who were with Hall at the time of the homicides are pending.